A myth is a story that is passed along through time from person to person. Myths are not just any old stories, but a stories with a purpose or lesson.
Korean Creation Myth "Tangun Mythology" has affacted to some of religions. To be specific, Dangun is worshipped today as a deity by the followers of Cheondogyo,and Daejonggyo. Moreover, Dangun is the second pattern or tul in the ITF form of the Korean martial art taekwondo. Students learn that the tul represents "the holy legendary founder of Korea in the year 2333 BC."
Like this, Korean creation myth "Tangun Mythology" plays an important role in achieving a contented personal life. This is because myths are such an critical part of our everyday lives.
Also, myths plays an important part of all historical cultures. Every single human culture is designed around a complicated network of myths that have developed over the time. So, we need myths.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Myth of Korea: Tangun
Myth of Korea: Tangun
Tangun, the mythological progenitor of the Korean people and the founder of Old Choseon, the first state of Korea, is mentioned in a number of sources. This means the myth of Tangun has some actual historical foundation, though it was distorted in several version. We can find some clues to understanding of Korean's unconscious traditional unique conception.
Once upon a time, Heavenly God, Hwan-in, noticed that one of his sons, Hwan-woong, always had his heart set on the world of mortals below. God looked down upon it and found the Samwi-Taebaek mountain the most befitting place for human beings to live.
He gave his son three Cheon Bu-In(God-given seals of king) and let him go down to the earth to rule over the human beings. (Here, we can see the same name of "Cheon Bu-In" and "Cheon Bu Gyeong". So some scholars guess, the Cheon Bu-In of the myth might refer to Cheon Bu Gyeong in real history.)
Hwan-woong, with three thousand subordinates, took leave of his father and came down to the human world and held his ground under the Shindan-soo(sandalwood used to make an alter for God) on top of the Taebaek mountain. He named the place Shin-Si(divine city) and he had himself called Hwan-woong Cheon-wang (Divine king Hwan-woong). He gave people their first lessons in right living and ruled over them, taking care of human affairs of as many as three hundred sixty kinds, such as farming, death, disease, punishment and good and evil, with the three goods of Poong-baek(wind), Woo-sa(rain) and Woon-sa(cloud) under his command.
At this time it so happened that a bear and a tiger were living together in a cave. They always prayed to Divine king Hwan-woong that they be made human beings. Taking notice of their admirable wish, the divine king gave them a bundle of sacred mugworts and twenty cloves of garlic and said, "If you eat these and do not see sunlight for one hundred days you will become human beings."
The bear and the tiger immediately began to practice abstinence, living on the mugworts and garlics in cave. After twenty one days the bear became a woman, but the tiger, unable to endure the abstinence, violated the injunction of the divine king, and failed to become a human being.
Now the woman could not find any man to marry her, so she always prayed under the sandalwood to be given a child of her own. Hwan-woong tok notice of her prayer, transformed himself into a man temporarily and married her. She gave birth to a son, who was to be Tangun-Wanggeum(Kin Wanggeum of Sandalwood).
Wanggeum succeeded Hwan-woong as king. He selected Pyongyang as his capital and named the country to Asadal at the Baekak mountain and reigned over the country for a thousand and five hundred years. Thus he became the founding father of Korea.
Four charters of tiger in Korean Myth
1. Violent and Scary Tiger
2. Stupid and Silly Tiger
3. Deified Tiger
4. Warm-hearted and Faithful Tiger
Monday, April 18, 2011
explanation
호랑이를 피하여 하늘로 올라간 남매가 각기 해와 달이 되었다는 설화. 동물담 중 유래담(由來譚)에 속하며, ‘일월전설(日月傳說)’·‘수숫대가 빨간 이유’라고도 한다. 전국적으로 널리 구전되고 있다. 줄거리는 다음과 같다.
옛날에 한 어머니가 삼 남매를 집에 두고 품팔이 나갔다가 돌아오는 길에 호랑이를 만났다. 호랑이는 어머니의 떡과 팔·발·몸을 차례로 먹어 버리고는 어머니로 가장하여 삼 남매가 사는 집으로 찾아갔다.
아이들은 호랑이의 목소리와 손바닥이 어머니와 다르다고 문을 열어 주지 않았으나, 호랑이는 갖은 꾀를 써서 마침내 방 안으로 들어가 막내를 잡아먹었다. 이를 본 두 남매는 겨우 도망하여 우물가 큰 나무 위로 피신하였다.
이들을 쫓아온 호랑이는 처음에는 오라비 말대로 참기름을 바르고 나무에 오르려다 실패하고, 그다음에는 누이가 일러 준 대로 도끼로 나무를 찍으며 올라갔다. 남매는 하늘에 동아줄을 내려 달라고 기원하여 드디어 하늘로 올라갔는데, 호랑이에게는 썩은 줄이 내려와 그것을 잡고 오르던 호랑이는 떨어져 죽고, 호랑이의 피가 수숫대에 묻어 붉게 되었다.
하늘에 오른 남매는 해와 달이 되었는데, 누이가 밤이 무섭다 하여 오라비와 바꾸어 해가 되었다. 해가 된 누이는 사람들이 쳐다보는 것이 부끄러워 빛을 발하여 자기를 바로 쳐다보지 못하게 하였다.
이 설화는 범세계적인 분포를 보이는데, 유럽의 것은 이리와 염소 사이에 갈등이 일어나는 순수한 동물담으로 되어 있다. 일본의 것은 가해자가 악마로 나타나고, 아이들은 하늘에 올라가 별이 되었다고 한다. 중국의 것은 대개 늑대가 하늘로 오르다 떨어진 곳에서 배추가 나왔다 하고, 아이들은 그 배추를 팔아 부자가 되었다고 한다.
각 편에 따라 삼 남매가 다 하늘로 올라가 각기 해·달·별이 되었다고 하는 경우도 있다. 또한, 오빠가 누이와 싸우다 누이의 눈을 찔러서 결국 누이가 해가 되었다는 변이형도 있다. 그리고 해와 달에 관한 기원담(起源譚)은 생략되고, 수숫대가 붉게 된 유래만 내용으로 삼는 이야기도 흔히 나타난다.
이 설화는 묘미가 있는 반복과 속고 속이는 지혜 겨룸 등으로 흥미롭게 구성되어 있으며, 또한 땅에서 하늘로 올라가는 상향식 신화여서 우리 민족의 인간 중심적 사고방식을 엿볼 수 있는 자료이다.
옛날에 한 어머니가 삼 남매를 집에 두고 품팔이 나갔다가 돌아오는 길에 호랑이를 만났다. 호랑이는 어머니의 떡과 팔·발·몸을 차례로 먹어 버리고는 어머니로 가장하여 삼 남매가 사는 집으로 찾아갔다.
아이들은 호랑이의 목소리와 손바닥이 어머니와 다르다고 문을 열어 주지 않았으나, 호랑이는 갖은 꾀를 써서 마침내 방 안으로 들어가 막내를 잡아먹었다. 이를 본 두 남매는 겨우 도망하여 우물가 큰 나무 위로 피신하였다.
이들을 쫓아온 호랑이는 처음에는 오라비 말대로 참기름을 바르고 나무에 오르려다 실패하고, 그다음에는 누이가 일러 준 대로 도끼로 나무를 찍으며 올라갔다. 남매는 하늘에 동아줄을 내려 달라고 기원하여 드디어 하늘로 올라갔는데, 호랑이에게는 썩은 줄이 내려와 그것을 잡고 오르던 호랑이는 떨어져 죽고, 호랑이의 피가 수숫대에 묻어 붉게 되었다.
하늘에 오른 남매는 해와 달이 되었는데, 누이가 밤이 무섭다 하여 오라비와 바꾸어 해가 되었다. 해가 된 누이는 사람들이 쳐다보는 것이 부끄러워 빛을 발하여 자기를 바로 쳐다보지 못하게 하였다.
이 설화는 범세계적인 분포를 보이는데, 유럽의 것은 이리와 염소 사이에 갈등이 일어나는 순수한 동물담으로 되어 있다. 일본의 것은 가해자가 악마로 나타나고, 아이들은 하늘에 올라가 별이 되었다고 한다. 중국의 것은 대개 늑대가 하늘로 오르다 떨어진 곳에서 배추가 나왔다 하고, 아이들은 그 배추를 팔아 부자가 되었다고 한다.
각 편에 따라 삼 남매가 다 하늘로 올라가 각기 해·달·별이 되었다고 하는 경우도 있다. 또한, 오빠가 누이와 싸우다 누이의 눈을 찔러서 결국 누이가 해가 되었다는 변이형도 있다. 그리고 해와 달에 관한 기원담(起源譚)은 생략되고, 수숫대가 붉게 된 유래만 내용으로 삼는 이야기도 흔히 나타난다.
이 설화는 묘미가 있는 반복과 속고 속이는 지혜 겨룸 등으로 흥미롭게 구성되어 있으며, 또한 땅에서 하늘로 올라가는 상향식 신화여서 우리 민족의 인간 중심적 사고방식을 엿볼 수 있는 자료이다.
Tiger in Korean culture(from wikipedia)
Tiger has been strongly associated with Korean people and Korean culture. It appears in not only the Korean foundation mythology but also in folklore, as well as a favorite subject of Korean art such as painting and sculpture. The mascot of the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea is Hodori, a symbolized tiger to represent Korean people.[1]
As such, in Korean history and culture, a tiger is regarded as a guardian that drives away evil spirit and a sacred creature that brings good luck – the symbol of courage and absolute power. The oldest historical record about the tiger can be found in the myth of Dangun, the legendary founding father of Gojoseon, told in the Samguk Yusa, or the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms. According to the myth, a bear and a tiger wished to become human beings. The bear turned into a woman by observing the commandments to eat only mugwort and garlic for 100 days in the cave. But the tiger couldn’t endure the ordeal and ran off, failing to realize its wish. There are 635 historical records about tigers in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. The story of a tiger that began from a myth can be also found in daily life as well. For example, the 19th century painting named “Sansindo” depicts the guardian spirit of a mountain leaning against a tiger or riding on the back of the animal. The animal is also known to do the errands for the mountain’s guardian spirit which is known to wish for peace and the well-being of the village. So, the tiger was ordered by the spiritual guardian of the mountain to give protection and wish for peace in the village. People drew such paintings and hung them in the shrine built in the mountain of the village where memorial rituals were performed regularly. In Buddhism, there is also a shrine that keeps the painting of the guardian spirit of the mountain. It’s called “Sansintaenghwa”, depiction of the guardian spirit of the mountain and a tiger.
Regarded by many as the divine spirit that guards the West, people in Korea consider the white tiger as a sacred creature in local folklore.
A tiger that has overcome trials and tribulations and understands the world is known to turn white, becoming a white tiger. Although it is a sacred creature that doesn’t harm people, it becomes atrocious when the ruler of the country conducts evil and inhumane deeds. Therefore, it has been told that powerful people become humble and rich people become generous when a white tiger appears.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_in_Korean_culture
As such, in Korean history and culture, a tiger is regarded as a guardian that drives away evil spirit and a sacred creature that brings good luck – the symbol of courage and absolute power. The oldest historical record about the tiger can be found in the myth of Dangun, the legendary founding father of Gojoseon, told in the Samguk Yusa, or the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms. According to the myth, a bear and a tiger wished to become human beings. The bear turned into a woman by observing the commandments to eat only mugwort and garlic for 100 days in the cave. But the tiger couldn’t endure the ordeal and ran off, failing to realize its wish. There are 635 historical records about tigers in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. The story of a tiger that began from a myth can be also found in daily life as well. For example, the 19th century painting named “Sansindo” depicts the guardian spirit of a mountain leaning against a tiger or riding on the back of the animal. The animal is also known to do the errands for the mountain’s guardian spirit which is known to wish for peace and the well-being of the village. So, the tiger was ordered by the spiritual guardian of the mountain to give protection and wish for peace in the village. People drew such paintings and hung them in the shrine built in the mountain of the village where memorial rituals were performed regularly. In Buddhism, there is also a shrine that keeps the painting of the guardian spirit of the mountain. It’s called “Sansintaenghwa”, depiction of the guardian spirit of the mountain and a tiger.
Regarded by many as the divine spirit that guards the West, people in Korea consider the white tiger as a sacred creature in local folklore.
A tiger that has overcome trials and tribulations and understands the world is known to turn white, becoming a white tiger. Although it is a sacred creature that doesn’t harm people, it becomes atrocious when the ruler of the country conducts evil and inhumane deeds. Therefore, it has been told that powerful people become humble and rich people become generous when a white tiger appears.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_in_Korean_culture
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